Heddle for weaving devices



May 13, 1952 P. A. SPERRY HEDDLE FOR WEAVING DEVICES Filed June 22, 1949- Z S I 1 I 1,-,ur IC L W I \"I k. w i 17w HHW W Patented May 13, 1952 STATES OFFICE 2.596.445 HEDDLEJFOR WEAVIN'G .msvIoEs Paul A. Sperry, New Haven, Go'ii'n. Application June '22, 1949, l'serlia'l No. 100,603 3 Claims. (Clff39 -96-i The present invention relates in general to weaving devices and more particularly to an improved heddle for shedding warp threads during the Weaving of a fabric.

Ano'bject of thei'nvention is to provide a superior heddle for manipulating warp threads.

A further object of the invention is to provide a superior heddle for facilitating threading warp threads through the harness of a loom and for selectively engaging and disengaging the warp threads.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a superior heddle for use either alone or in conjunction with the usual type of loom-heddles for increasing the number of variations of shed structure. I

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear to those skilled in the art from the present disclosure, this invention includes all features in the said disclosure which are novel over the prior art.

In the accompanying drawings, in which certain modes of carrying out the present invention are shownfor illustrative purposes:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved heddle of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a front edge elevation of the heddle shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of theheddle of Fig. 1, showing details of the warp-thread engaging-means of the heddle;

ing device embodying both the improved heddles of this invention and conventional heddles.

HeddZe construction Referring especially to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the improved heddle of this invention comprises preferably a thin relatively-stiff substantiallyrectangular blade-like strip of material [0 such as, for example, thin sheet metal or its equivalent, provided at its upper and lower ends respectively with longitudinal notches H and I2 cut inone edge of the strip Ill and forming thereby relatively-narrow elongated arms 13 and I4. Although the notched construction of the heddle is pre erred from the standpoint of reducing the weight thereof, it is within the purview of the invention to form theheddle'witho-ut the notches in the opposite ends thereof. The relativelynarro'w elongated arms l3 "and M of the metal strip "[0 are .provided at their outer ends with apertures It and I5 respectively, each aperture constituting means for attaching the heddle in a harness or to the heddle-operating means of a Jadqdard=type weaving device.

Formed in the body-portion n of the heddle H1 adjacent one endthereof, is warp-thread engaging-means indicated generally at It. As shown especially well in Fig. '3, the warp-thread engaging-means F8 comprises a. substantially- "rectangular aperture 19 extending longitudinally of the body portion H "of the heddle. Projecting upwardly from the "lower edge of the aperture in substantially-vertical transversely spaced-parallel-relationship, is a pair of prongs 2| and 22, the bases of which are joined integrally to the lower edge or the aperture IS, the one prong 2i being bent outwardly from the plane of the bodyportion of the heddle, i. -e., from a plane intersecting the l'ongi'tudii'ial edges of the heddle, to the "left thereof, as shown in Fig. 2, and the "second prong 22 being bent outwardly from the plane of the body-portion I! of the heddle to the right there'ef, that isto say, in a direction opposite tothat of the prong 2|. The prongs 2! and 2 2 are substantially the same height and the outer sides o'f the prongs adjacent their bases are joined to the respective oppositely-disposed longitudinal edges "of the aperture L! by concave edges 23 and 24 respectively of relativelysmau "radius eonstituting portions of the lower edge of the aperture. As'imilar'concave edge 25 "of relatively-greater radius and substantially intermediate prongs '21 and 22, joins the oppositely-disposed inner sides of each prong adjacent its base, "as shown especially well in Fig. 3.

Uses of heddle ns'shownin Rigid-a plurality of heddles of this 'iinvention is radaptedto besupp'orted substantially "vertically inaconventional harness 26 of a loom with the "plane 'of the body-portion. I! of each heddle subs'tantially:parallelto the warp threads of the loom so that the laterally-projecting prongs To thisend,

"ed ever the corresponding laterally-projecting prongs of the heddles instead of being threaded through an eye thereof, as is characteristic of the conventional type of heddle, each warp lying against the corresponding side of the body-portion ll of the heddle. For some types of weaves, it may be desirable to invert some of the heddles as indicated in Fig. 6, to depress the warps which may be done without withdrawing the corresponding warps from the harness. It will be clear that by this relatively-simple warp-engaging means, the individual warp threads may be engaged with and disengaged from a corresponding heddle with ease and dispatch. Moreover, the prongs provide a minimum surface area for contact by the warp threads, thereby reducing frictional drag thereon and at the same time permitting the interchange of warp threads of a wide variety of sizes. The individual warp threads are taken off of a warp-beam or creel in a manner well known to those versed in the art, the raising and lowering of the harnesses forming successive sheds for traversing the shuttle 27 therethrough, which, as indicated in Fig. 7, is supported for longitudinal reciprocable movement on an oscillatory loom-batten 28.

A further use of the heddle of this invention is in conjunction with the conventional type of heddle of a loom for increasing the number of variations of shed structure. Thus, as shown in Fig. '7, four harnesses 29, 30, 3| and 32 are provided. each operated by the usual shedding move ment 33, three of the harnesses embodying conventional heddles 34, 35 and 30 respectively and the fourth harness 29 having a plurality of the improved heddles 10. Fig. 7 illustrates one function of one of the heddles I wherein a warp thread 31, which-passes through the eye 38 of the heddle 39 and normally would be on the bottom of the shed due to the lowered position of the heddle 3 5, has, however, been caught on one of the laterally-projecting prongs of the heddle l9 and held up so as to b on the top of the shed. By properly arranging one or more sets of heddles in with respect to one or more conventional heddles, a large variation in shed structure may be obtained on a conventional loom without necessitating any appreciable alteration thereof.

A still further application of the heddles I0 is in conjunction with a Jacquard loom wherein each individual heddle would be operated independently of the others for forming intricate patterns in a woven fabric. Moreover, it will be understood that it is within the purview of the invention to include all other uses of the heddles to which they adapt themselves. In this connection, it should be pointed out that a harness made up of a plurality of heddles In such as shown in Fig. 6, has the characteristics of a reed, that is to say, the front edges of the substantially verticallyarranged heddles it constitute means for packing the weft threads up into the fell 39 of the woven fabric, and to this end suitable means may be provided for mounting the heddle-bearing harness to accomplish this result.

The improved heddles of this invention will be seen, therefore, to be adapted to many applica: tions in the weaving of a woven fabric and to be characterized by ease of threading warp threads thereon, minimum frictional engagement with the warp threads and capacity for accommodating warp threads of a wide variety of sizes.

The invention may be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention,and the present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

1. A heddle for manipulating warp threads of a fabric-weaving device, the said heddle comprising a blade-like strip of material having apertures at opposite ends thereof respectively for fastening the blade-like heddle in a substantiallyvertical operating position, and a relatively-wide aperture in said blade-like heddle between the opposite ends thereof; and warp-engaging means comprising a prong joined integrally at its base with the bottom edge of said relatively-wide aper-.

ture, the said prong being narrow relative to the width of said aperture and arranged to project outwardly laterally from a plane intersecting the oppositely-disposed longitudinal edges of said blade-like heddle.

2. A heddle for manipulating Warp threads of a fabric-weaving device, the said heddle comprising a blade-like strip of metal having apertures at opposite ends thereof respectively for fastening the blade-like heddle in a substantially-vertical operating position, and a relatively-wide aperture in said blade-like heddle between the opposite ends thereof; and warp-engaging means comprising a pair of prongs joined integrally at their re spective bases with the bottom edge of said relatively-wide aperture and in longitudinallyspaced relationship along the bottom edge thereof, the said prongs being narrow relative to said aperture and bent outwardly from and on opposite sides respectively of a plane intersecting the oppositely-disposed longitudinal edges of said blade-like heddle.

3. A heddle for manipulating warp threads of a fabric-weaving device, the said heddle comprising a blade-like strip of metal having apertures at opposite ends thereof respectively for fastening the blade-like heddle in a substantially-vertical operating position, and a relatively-wide aperture in said blade-like heddle between the opposite ends thereof; and warp-engaging means comprising a pair of prongs joined integrally at their respective bases with the bottom edge of said intermediate aperture and in longitudinallyspaced relationship along the bottom edge thereof, the portions of the bottom edg of said relatively-wide aperture which blend the longitudinal sides thereof with the longitudinally-spaced prongs comprising concave edges, the said prongs being narrow relative to said aperture and bent outwardly from and on opposite sides respectively of a plane intersecting th oppositely-disposed longitudinal edges of said blade-like heddle.

PAUL A. SPERRY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

